Bottle holder



H. K. POWELL BOTTLE HOLDER Oct. 8, 1940.

Filed NOV. 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 8, 1940.

H. K. POWELL BOTTLE HOLDER 2 Shawls-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1937 lllll II III m m m M m w m L Q v l m m m m Q m T u Q 3 1" Q 1B u u n u w u n N R i m um m u m n m n n m n n n u k u NM u lk u v kw r Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 4, 1937, Serial No. 172,684 13 Claims. (01. 229-27) This invention relates to holders or containers for the packaging of a plurality of bottles or similar articles in a manner to facilitate their being carried.

A general object of the invention is the provision of such a holder or container which can be fabricated economically from paper board or similar sheet material and which is of such character that it may be packaged, for shipment or storl age, in a flat knocked-down condition, and may be set up by the user at the point of use, without the necessity for special apparatus or additional fast-enings, into a form in which it constitutes a stable and sufliciently strong container for the F packaging and transportation of a plurality of bottles or the like.

Another object is the provision of such a holder or container which, in its set-up condition, retains its form as a receptacle, even though empty or only partially filled, and hence forms a convenient repository for the bottles when they are empty.

Another object is the provision of such a holder or container which is particularly adapted for reuse, as for returning the empty bottles and for the packaging of additional groups of bottles.

Other and further objects will'be pointed out or indicated hereinafter, or will be apparent from the following description.

) For the purpose of aiding in an explanation of the invention, I disclose in the drawings forming a part of this specification, and hereinafter describe, certain embodiments of it. It is to be understood, however, that these are presented merely by way of illustration and are not to be construed in any fashion for the purpose of limiting the appended claims short of the true and most comprehensive-scope of the invention in the art.

In said'drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container or holder embodying the invention, the same being shown in its set-up condition, but with some of the parts deflected out of their normal positions;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, showing the parts in normal relationship for forming a package;

Fig. 3 is a detail, showing in perspective various portions of the container in positions which they the container;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank of which the container is formed;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the container in its knocked-down condition;

ples 25 or the like.

are caused to assume in the process of setting up Fig. 6 is a perspective view'of the lower portion of the container modified for use of cross-partitions; and

Fig. '7 is a view of one of the cross-partitions.

Referring first to Fig. 4, it will be understood 5 that the illustration represents a blank out from a sheet of paper board or the like, same being slotted and creased to form a pair of partition panels l0 and [0' which are conjoined along the folding crease a, a pair of bottom panels II and 10 II which are conjoined with the panels l0 and I0 respectively along crease lines I), and a pair of side panels 12 and I2 which are conjoined with panels II and II respectively along crease lines 0, said side panels l2 and I2 having extenl5 sion sections l4 and M which are conjoined to top panels l5 and I5 along crease lines e. Conjoined to the ends of side panel I2, along crease lines f, are end panels l6 and I6" which respectively have extension tabs ll conjoined to them along crease lines g. Side panel 12' likewise has end panels [6 and IB conjoinedto its end along crease lines f which end panels have extension tabs conjoined to them respectively. At their outer ends, panels l6 and IG' have anchoring tabs l8 conjoined to them along crease lines h. Panels l6 and I6" have locking hooks l9 at their outer ends, and panels l6 and "5" are provided with slots 20 adapted to receive said locking hooks.

Top sections l5 and I5 are provided with apertures 2| in corresponding locations, section I5 is provided at its end margin with a tongue 22, and a slot 24 is provided at the margin of section l5 for receiving said tongue. Panels llland III are of like width, panels II and II are of like width, and panels 12 and I2 are of like width.

The blank so formed is folded on crease line a so that the panels to one side of said line are laid flat upon the corresponding panels to the other side thereof, and the panels l0 and ID are fastened together adjacent crease lines b by sta- The container is thus completed in its knocked-down or flat condition, in which it may be stacked with others of like form for packaging and shipment.

The container is adapted to be set up from this knocked-down form by the user at the point of use. To accomplish the setting-up, the panels II and II are flexed outwardly into approximately right-angle relationship with panels I0 and I0, as seen in Fig. 3. Then one of the extension tabs is bent upwardly against its conjoined panel IE or IG', its anchoring tab I8 is fle'xed upwardly along crease line it, and the side panel is bent upwardly and the anchoring tongue I. is slipped between the adjacent end portions of panels I and Ill and-pressed home until-the f conjoined end panel is against the adjacent end of the bottom panel H. Then theextension tab I1 is flexed downwardly until it lies flat on said bottom panel. This procedure is then repeated with the corresponding end panel II or W.

.Then the extension tabs l1 oi! the end panels l0 and W. are flexed over against said end panels, side section is flexed upwardly along crease line 0, and hooks I9 are engaged in slots 20, whereupon the extension tabs H are flexeddown flatagainst compartments. Bottles or other articles may be placed in these compartments so that they stand on the inner bottom formed by the tabs H. The side sections II and H extend upwardly from the upper margins of the side panels and constitute side walls for protection of the upper portions of the bottles. To close the top of the contamer, the top section. II is flexed inwardly on top of the bottles, the section l5 flexed inwardly ,onto the section It, and the tongue 22 inserted through the slot 24, thus securing the topsections in that relationship. This brings the apertures 2| into registry so that they afford an opening for insertion of the fingers through the top of the container, to facilitate its being handled. This flat top of the container is supported on the bottles, and permits a number of the packages so formed to be stacked one upon another. To i'acilitate the carrying of the package by the hand, the top sections may be flexed upwardly into collateral relationship, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the tongue 22 bent over the upper margin oi. section l5. This brings the apertures 2| opposite each other, so that the top sections thus form a handle whereby the package may be carried.

It will be observed that when the container is in its set-up condition, the engagement of the anchoring tongues I8 between the sections l0 and I0 forms a support for the partition and prevents the bottom of the receptacle from flexing downwardly. The extension tabs I 1 hold the end panels l6 and I6" against flexing downwardly, and thus prevent the hooks l9 being disengaged from the panels l6 and IB' and likewise support said end panels l6 and "5" against tilting inwardly and downwardly. The engagement of the extension tabs l1 between the outer walls 12 and i2 and panels Ill and I0 braces the end panels against flexing outwardly, and the stiff partition formed by the panels Ill and I0" holds them against flexing inwardly.

As a consequence, the receptacle is very stable, so that it does not collapse or fall apart when empty, or collapse or become distorted when supporting its contents of a contemplated weight.

Accordingly, it forms a convenient receptacle for empty bottles in the household of the consumer,

and inasmuch as it does not have to be mutilated in any fashion in order to remove the contents, it remains available for re-use in returning the empty bottles to the dealer,'and for further use by him in the packaging of others.

If it is desired to subdivide the container compartments by cross-partitions for the purpose of "keeping the bottles out oi. contact with one another, the construction may be modified as illusm me f in Fig. 6. Here the partition panels lo. I o' are slotted downwardly irom their upper margins tor a portion oi their height, :asat '28, and slotted".

cross-partitions 21 are provided,same preferably 1 beingotlength suflicient to spanthe space hetween the side. panels 12,12. When these crosspartitions are engaged in the'slots 20, they and the partition panels. Ill, l0 subdivide the container into cellular compartments, and-the crosspartitions perform further functions as additional means for holding the partition panels l0, ID together and bracing the'side panels l2, l2 against flexing inwardly.

It-is recognized that various other changes in the details of the container or the blank from which it is formed may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, panel p I. may be transposed with panel l6"' so that each of panels I 2 and i2 will have a hook-carrying panel at one end and a slotted panel at the other. The width of'panels l0 and I0 may be changed so that the height or the partition relative to the end walls may be greater or less than that shown in the drawing. The two halves of the blank may be formed separate, 1. e., as divided along the line a, and secured together by staples along that margin after being posit-ioned oneupon the other. All or such modifications are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims;

What I claim is:

1. A knocked-down container for the packaging of bottles or the like comprising'a blank of sheet material formed and creased to provide symmetrically arranged partition panels, bottom panels conjoined respectively to a margin of respective partition panels, side panels conjoined respectively to a margin of respective bottom panels, and end panels conjoined respectively to the respective ends of the side panels, the partition panels being disposed in coinciding relationship one upon the other and being secured together adjacent their side margins, the bottom panels being flexible into right-angular relationship to the partition panels and the side panels being flexible to upstanding positions parallel with the partition panels and being provided at their upper ends with a handle whereby the container may be carried, the end panels being flexible to upstanding positions at right angles to the side panels and being provided with means whereby those at corresponding ends of the side panels may be interlocked with each other to hold the side panels against swinging outwardly.

2. A container as specified in claim 1 and wherein an end panel at each end of the partition panels is provided with an anchoring tongue in position to be inserted between the conjoined partition panels.

3. A container as specified in claim 1 and wherein the end panels are provided at their margins adjacent the bottom panels with extension flaps which are flexible into overlying relationship with the bottom panels.

4. A container as specified in claim 1 and wherein an end panel at each end of the partition panels is provided with an anchoring tongue insertable between the partition panels, and the end panels are provided on their margins adjacent the bottom panels with extension flaps flexible into overlying relationship with the bottom panels. g

5. A container as specified in claim 1 and wherein the side sections are of greater height than the partition panels and the handle is spaced a substantial distance above the latter.

6. A container for the packaging of bottles or the like comprising bottom panels disposed sideby-side, partition panels conjoined to the adjacent inner margins of the bottom panels and extending upwardly therefrom, said partition panels being disposed face-to-face and being connected to each other adjacent their upper and lower margins, side panels conjoined to the outer side margins of the bottom panels and extending upwardly therefrom, end panels conjoined respectively with end margins of the respective side panels and extending inwardly therefrom along the end margins of the bottom panels, the end panels at respective ends of the bottom panels being connected to each other to retain the end and side panels in upstanding position, and one of the end panels at each end of the partition panels being provided with an anchoring tongue inserted between the partition panels.

7. A container as specified in claim 6 and I wherein the end panels are conjoined at their lower margins to extension flaps which rest on the upper surfaces of the bottom panels.

8. A container as specified in claim 6 and wherein the end panels are provided at their lower margins with extension flaps which are of approximately the same width as the bottom panels and are disposed on the upper surfaces thereof.

9. A container as specified in claim 6 and wherein the side' panels have sections extending upwardly beyond the tops of the end panels, said sections being provided with a handle at their upper ends.

10. A container as specified in claim 6 and wherein the side panels have sections extending upwardly beyond the tops of the end panels, said that of the partition panels, said side panels being provided at their upper extremities with a handle whereby the container may be carried, and end panels conjoined to the end margins of the side panels and extending inwardly therefrom along the end margins of the bottom panels, said end panels having anchoring connection with the partition panels to prevent downward displacement of the latter.

12. A container as specified in claim 11 and wherein at least some of the end panels have portions overlying the bottom panels in position to prevent upward displacement thereof.

13. A container of the sort described, comprising partition panels disposed face-to-face in upstanding position and conjoined to each other, bottom panels conjoined to and extending outwardly and oppositely from the lower margins of the partition panels, side panels conjoined to and extending upwardly from the outer margins of the bottom panels and provided with a handle at their upper ends, and cross-partitions slotted to straddle and clasp portions of the partition panels to brace them against spreading apart, said cross-partitions extending transversely of the container above the bottom panels.

HENRY K. POWELL. 

